The U.S. and Turkey are clashing over Syria, complicating U.S. efforts and highlighting how Middle East turmoil is upending longstanding alliances. Adam Entous reports. Photo: AP.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the the ... well in the struggling US its Middle East allies choose all the Syrian crisis one low profile figment of his play an outsize role ... in causing headaches for the about administration ... we have pasta Adam and says ... who co wrote a front page that is a story today on tickets how the spy MasTec ... confidant ... Haydn thanks adjoining us ... pleasure thinking ... to give us the rundown on this and ... what's his role and what's he doing to frustrate us ... write ... a mean he said he's been really a shooting star within that within the Turkish system ... heroes because he's very close to it won the Prime Minister ... Ayad is taking on this expanded role because said his agency which is called notice them it's that ... kind of this EIA of Turkey ... has been given these additional powers in recent years that makes it increasingly powerful ... and what to officials have been telling us both that here in the US I and and and and Turkey among the opposition ... is that that is that the guns agency them it has been acting is a traffic cop of sorts ... of funneling ... arms and fighters into Syria ... and the issue for the Americans is the belief that the Turks into indiscriminate ... in allowing those ... that that those arms and those fighters to enter Syria ... because they believe that it's been strengthening the more radical camps ... I meant to be concerned the United States which has that ... I've been a priority in preventing ... these radical groups from that getting ... getting more powerful in the in the opposition in Syria ... whereas for Turkey and for feed on ... the real priority here and the driving force behind this approach be taken ... is really because their number one priority is removing aside ... are they not ... concerned as well about the rise of radicals within Syria ... we increasingly over the last six months we've seen a shift ... in in in Turkey to a certain extent ... where they're at it you really concerned about the rise of ... of the particular a branch of al Qaeda from Iraq ... which is that taken hold of some of the neighborhoods ... I veteran at the north of Syria along the Turkish border ... and that's really Edmead in very concerned ... of but really the issue comes down to what what's responsible for the rise of these ... radical groups ... the Turks argue ... and a lot of other ... US allies in the region argue ... that the United States is very cautious approach ... of allowing very small amounts of arms to reach moderate forces ... is the reason why ... more radical groups have gained in sway within the opposition because they see no alternative ... the West is not coming to the rescue ... where's the Americans because their priority is preventing the rise of ... of al Qaeda in India in India as in Syria ... has really put the focus less on removing aside ... and more on preventing arms from St in these groups and so it's those divergent approaches ... that there really is at the heart of this conflict between Syria and Turkey ... he's a turkey neck states ... what about the broader problem of us in judgment in the region of course is a lot of stocks of added time but flopping from the US ... the on again off again attacks of course the lack of support from Britain other allies ... this is to be something of a leadership vacuum ... some would say is that ... the dough up with these different ... spot boxes and other figures in different countries to step in and have more info ... Ray was certainly the Arab Spring you know ... that created this in a ... sea change in the region ... that debt created a lot of opportunities for different countries to ... extend their their influence ... I and certainly that's part of the motivation behind will we see is sort of a ... if the re The major ... US fine Masters is the guy is seeking to expand their reach and that would be Fidell and Turkey ... of Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia ... and that has some ... thoughts on the money and the head of the Quds force in Iran ... add these to read spy masters ... have seized on this Arab Spring ... up on rest ... to act to try to shrink in there and ... in these countries and try to ... build alliances that would be useful for them ... in the future ... they really acting out of their own self interest ... and at the same time you have the U S pulling out ... and of Iraq and and at the same time ... pulling back ... more broadly in the region in terms of its engagement index to QE clear in Syria where ... it's very clear the Obama administration ... I just doesn't wanna own it they don't wanna get involved ... in a one to increase their exposure ... than these other spy masters are willing to increase their exposure because ... they live in the neighborhood in this is that ... this really matters for them ... thanks for much of this extremely interesting and complicated story given great job with that ... to read the story parts from